The facility could have 400 to 450 workers and might fill a niche of providing space for stem cell manufacturing.

Contractors have leveled an old city block in Newport to make way for one of a series of redevelopment projects totaling about $500 million in the Northeast Kingdom, a region where it’s long been challenging to find work.

“It is the right place,” developer Bill Stenger said. “The community will be delighted.”

New details were released Monday for the $100 million plant for ANC Bio Vermont. Developers set a mid-May groundbreaking, telling reporters they have lined up much of the capital they need and are working on the rest.

The project has been slow to materialize. Developers blamed lengthy delays with the federal EB-5 system, which lets foreign citizens get a step closer to conditional U.S. residency if they invest money in projects that create jobs. EB-5 already helped modernize and transform the nearby Jay Peak Resort.

“Interest didn’t slow, but approvals did,” Stenger said.

A window maker that was once a big part of the revitalization backed out, and more recently, the state wanted to know why ANC Bio's affiliate in Korea had its headquarters auctioned off.

“The timing was not in sync,” Stenger said.

Developers said those issues were beyond their control and have no bearing on the Vermont work, in which they have confidence.

“Keep in mind this is one of Vermont’s most rural areas,” Lee said. “So how’s it going to host a nationally or internationally minded biotech firm? Well, one way is through improvements here at the Newport State Airport. Larger runways will mean larger aircraft can come here and that will help with shipping and transportation needs.”

As prep work continues for Newport’s new Main Street, elsewhere the biotech project still will have to go through reviews from state financial regulators before possibly opening in the fall of 2016.